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What’s worse than finding a worm in your salad? Finding a host of deadly bacteria, unfortunately.

Global scientists and food safety specialists are becoming increasingly concerned as more than 200 Brits have been hit with a rare strain of E. Coli linked to contaminated salad leaves in the last month.

The experts claim to be ‘confident’ that a type of butterhead lettuce named ‘Apollo’ is behind the outbreak of the diarrhoea-causing bug, but are still unable to pinpoint the exact source of the widespread contamination.

In light of this recent outbreak, over 60 sandwiches, wraps, and salads sold in 11 major shops in the UK have been plastered with ‘do not eat’ alerts amidst fears they could contain Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (commonly shorted to STEC).

The real kicker is that studies suggest leafy greens are responsible for half of all E. Coli outbreaks. That’s some pretty disheartening data.

Experts believe that it is partly lettuce’s texture that makes it more prone to E. Coli contamination, and partly the uncooked nature of the world’s favourite salad ingredient.

Professor Paul Hunter from the University of East Anglia explains: “During watering, potentially contaminated water can rest on the lettuce leaf. The rough and waxy surface of the leaf also makes it difficult to wash off E. coli.

The main risk comes from bacteria attached to the leaf surface.”

A 2019 review of research co-authored by Prof Hunter which analysed STEC outbreaks linked to lettuce between 1995 and 2018 found that poor practices in vegetable processing and animal faeces near growing fields were common factors contributing to outbreaks.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) typically records around 1 500 confirmed STEC infections annually, but the recent outbreak has seen 211 locals infected in just over two weeks.

At least 67 people have been hospitalized, with victims including children as young as two and a slew of young adults.

While many victims of STEC infections recover quickly with the help of medical attention, often these kinds of contaminations can seriously affect the health and wellbeing of those affected.

In December last year, a 17-year-old girl from Buckinghamshire, Antonia Hay, was left fighting for her life after contracting the deadly E. Coli strain from food at a Christmas market in Great Missenden. Hay, an aspiring actress, spent almost two weeks in intensive care, underwent multiple operations, including one to remove part of her bowel and required a blood transfusion due to kidney failure, forcing her onto dialysis.

More research is being conducted using genome sequencing to link the rising E. coli cases in the UK, so hopefully, with the help of science, severe cases can be avoided.

We won’t be looking at salads the same for a long time. ‘Lettuce’ all make a pact to thoroughly wash our fruits ‘n’ veggies before serving.

[source:dailymail]